May 21, 2013
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Bobcats Sports & Entertainment Chairman Michael Jordan announced today that the organization has submitted its application to change the team’s name to the Charlotte Hornets starting with the 2014-15 season. The request now goes to the NBA Board of Governors, which next meets on July 18 in Las Vegas, where it would need a majority vote for approval.
“This is a monumental moment for our organization,” Jordan said. “After undergoing an elaborate research process, we recognize that this is what our fans want. We believe that making this change would not only re-establish one of the most recognized brands in sports but would also unify our fan base by bringing together our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have fond memories of our city’s NBA predecessor. Our fans spoke and we listened.”
The historical significance of the Hornets moniker dates back to the American Revolution, when the city of Charlotte’s resistance led British General Charles Cornwallis to refer to the local militia members as “a veritable nest of hornets.” The Charlotte Hornets name appears throughout the city’s sports history, having previously been used by a minor league baseball team from 1901-1973, a World Football League team in 1974 and 1975, and the city’s previous NBA team from 1988-2002.
Charlotte’s first major professional sports team, the NBA’s Hornets led the league in attendance during their inaugural season in 1988-89 and went on to do so seven straight times from 1990-91 to 1996-97, recording 364 consecutive sellouts from Dec. 23, 1988 through Nov. 21, 1997.
The application to change the name is the first step in a process that would lead to the team taking the floor as the Hornets starting with the 2014-15 season. Pending approval from the Board of Governors, additional pieces of the process would include the selection of the team’s colors, designing of the team’s logo, uniforms and playing court, and a myriad of alterations at Time Warner Cable Arena, among others.
In order to allow fans to show their support for the return of the Hornets name to Charlotte, the organization has created a two-year ticket plan that includes both the 2013-14 season and the 2014-15 season when the Charlotte Hornets would take the floor for the first time in 12 years. Tickets are available now by calling 704-688-8000 or visiting BackBuzzCity.com.